1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to touch operated capacitance switches for electronic organs, and more particularly, to touch operated capacitance switches used in connection with arpeggio systems for electronic organs utilizing digital techniques to permit various modes of operation including arpeggios, strums, sequences, as well as normal modes of playing and the switching between the modes of operation by touch operation of the touch operated capacitance switch.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Automatic arpeggio systems for electronic organs are known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,718,748; 3,822,407; and 3,842,182 all in the name of Bunger, as well as U.S. Pat. No. 3,725,562--Munch, et al. disclose various types of systems for automatically producing arpeggio effects in an electronic organ. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 3,842,184--Kniepkamp, et al. discloses an electronic musical instrument having an automatic arpeggio system. While the various arpeggio systems disclosed by these prior art patents are quite suitable for their intended purpose, the present invention is an advancement over these prior art systems in that it utilizes digital logic techniques to achieve a wide variety of arpeggio sequences and modes of operation. Unlike prior art systems the present invention is not limited to an either an up or an up-down arpeggio mode and permits the playing of note sequences in other than ascending or descending chromatic order. Further, unlike the prior art systems the present invention is very flexible and has the ability to be rapidly changed between various modes of operation.